San Diego  The county board of supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to oppose a court order that would require the state to release thousands of inmates from prison early to further reduce overcrowding.

The federal court ruling, handed down last month, ordered state authorities to reduce the prison population to 137.5 percent of capacity by Dec. 31 or risk being cited for contempt. That would mean the release of as many as 10,000 inmates statewide, about 800 of which would be returned to San Diego County.

On Tuesday, county officials had strong words about the proposed releases and the 2011 Public Safety Realignment law that shifted responsibility for housing and supervision some lower-level offenders to from the state to the county.

“We need to fight back,” said Supervisor Dianne Jacob, who thanked fellow Supervisor Ron Roberts and other county officials for bringing the matter before the board.

“Our neighborhoods are not a safe as they once were,” Jacob said, adding that the recent court order and realignment have sent a message to would-be offenders that they can commit a crime without serious repercussions so long as it's not “a real bad crime.”

Jacob and others agreed that the changes to public safety in California had put a serious burden on the counties.

“It’s a terrible situation that we’re in,” she said. “It’s a serious situation (that) affects every neighborhood and every individual. ... Enough is enough.”

Gov. Jerry Brown, who proposed the realignment plan early in 2011 in response to budget concerns and the prison overcrowding problem, has asked the panel of three federal judges to delay its order, giving the state time to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Earlier this month, the judges from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals refused to grant a stay.

Other county law enforcement leaders were at the county board of supervisors meeting Tuesday, including District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis, Public Defender Henry Coker, and representatives from the county Probation Department.

Both Dumanis and Coker expressed some frustration about the abrupt manner in which the state approved realignment.

“We got this law that we didn’t create, but we have to follow and we have to make sure our community is safe,” Dumanis said after the meeting.

The board also authorized the county’s chief administrative officer to work with the Sheriff’s Department, the offices of the district attorney and public defender, and others to develop a plan to reduce spikes in the local jail population, particularly on weekends.

Coker, who did not weigh-in on the prison release issue, said he supported a collaborative effort to make sure jail inmates have their arraignment and bail review hearings sooner, so they don’t spend time needlessly in custody.

“I think this should be done on an everyday basis, not just on weekends,” he said, adding that the jails should be reserved for those who pose a danger to themselves or others.

He gave a real-life example of a college student who was arrested on a Thursday night after an altercation with his girlfriend. Coker said that person did not have an opportunity to appear in front of a judge until Monday or Tuesday of the following week, when the City Attorney’s Office declined to file charges.

Roberts said after the board meeting that one suggestion would be to hold weekend court, which would allow those arrested during that time to appear before a judge much sooner. Other possibilities, he said, include conducting arraignments and bail review hearings via video or even mobile applications.

“We want to bring us into the 21st century,” he said.

The county chief administrative officer is required to report back to the board within 90 days.